Although many well meaning ministers refer to salvation as a gift from God, the Bible makes it clear that this is not the case. Salvation is not a neatly wrapped gift that God gives to some people and not others. Salvation is not a “get out of Hell free” ticket.

Here are a few passages and I’ll put the rest at the end.

Luke 2:25-32
25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said:
29 Now, Master,
You can dismiss Your slave in peace,
according to Your word.
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation.
31 You have prepared it
in the presence of all peoples—
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and glory to Your people Israel.

John 3:36
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

Jesus Christ IS the salvation of God! He alone is the Gift that God the Father gave to humanity. The salvation of God is not a thing to be possessed; it is God Himself to be embraced as Lord and Savior!

Why is this important? Because as students of our modern culture, we’ve all been taught to be good little consumers–-consumers that know how to acquire many possessions. The church is not immune to this mindset either. Long ago it found its way into the church which is why we find so many topical messages today, such as, “God Wants You to be Rich,” “Becoming a Better You,” “Living Stress Free in Today’s World,” “Increasing God’s Favor in Your Life,” and “The Biblical Road to Blessing.” It almost appears that unless the church sermon is designed, written, and marketed to make the Christian consumer feel good, then we won’t buy it.

While I believe that we need to learn how to grow in the Lord through His Word and Spirit, I don’t think increasing the number of SELF-focused sermons and messages is the solution! Ephesians 2:8 is perfectly clear that we don’t bring anything into the salvation equation when it says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Self is not a factor in the salvation process.

In fact, the pride of self was the first sin that caused Lucifer to fall from God’s presence and become Satan. Isaiah 14:12-14 records the five prideful statements attributed to Satan before he was cast out of Heaven.

Isaiah 14:12-14
12 Shining morning star,
how you have fallen from the heavens!
You destroyer of nations,
you have been cut down to the ground.
13 You said to yourself:
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will set up my throne
above the stars of God.
I will sit on the mount of the assembly,
in the remotest parts of the North.
14 I will ascend above the highest clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”

If the pride of self caused Lucifer, the shining morning star, who lived in God’s continual presence, to sin and become the father of lies, how much more should we guard our hearts from pride and self.

Another reason why this is important is because it helps us correctly answer questions such as, “How can a loving God send anybody to Hell?” and “If salvation is really a free gift, then why does rejecting it send me to Hell?” You see, these questions only have merit when salvation is an external gift that God can give or withhold from somebody. But when a biblical understanding of salvation is applied to them, it is clear that these questions are asked out of a Scriptural misunderstanding.

Salvation IS God Himself, therefore, if somebody wants to reject God’s salvation, they are actually rejecting God. The two cannot be separated. Although He does not want anybody to perish in Hell (2 Peter 3:9), He will not force anybody to love Him. John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” I added emphasis to show that Jesus is not forced upon anybody. All of us have a choice! We can choose to believe that Jesus is God’s salvation or we can choose to not believe it.

So how can a loving God send anybody to Hell? He doesn’t. In fact, He did the exact opposite by sending His salvation, Jesus Christ, while we were still lost in our sins (Romans 5:8).

And if salvation is really a free gift, then why does rejecting it send me to Hell? It doesn’t because salvation is not a gift separate from God. As mentioned above, God will not force anybody to love Him. Instead, He grants people their eternal desire. If a person does not want anything to do with God, as displayed in Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15), then He sorrowfully grants their request by eternally removing His presence from them in Hell. However, if a person accepts Jesus Christ as their salvation, then they will enter eternity to remain constantly in His loving presence.

What is your salvation? Is it a thing that you possess or is it God Himself that you embrace? I encourage you to put some serious thought to this question. Don’t let your salvation be based in shallow consumerism. Instead, find your salvation by embracing the God of the universe as displayed to us through His only Son, Jesus Christ.

Here are some other passages that reference Jesus Christ as the salvation of God:
Luke 3:2-6
2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way for the Lord;
make His paths straight!
5 Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be made low;
the crooked will become straight,
the rough ways smooth,
6 and everyone will see the salvation of God.”

John 3:14-18
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

John 5:36-40
36 “But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about Me that the Father has sent Me. 37 The Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have not heard His voice at any time, and you haven’t seen His form. 38 You don’t have His word living in you, because you don’t believe the One He sent. 39 You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me. 40 And you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

Acts 4:11-12
11 This Jesus is
The stone despised by you builders,
who has become the cornerstone.
12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

2 Timothy 2:10
This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared, with salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a special people, eager to do good works.

Hebrews 5:7-10
7 During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals, with loud cries and tears, to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Though a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. 9 After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 and He was declared by God a high priest “in the order of Melchizedek.”